Please See the Lord on His Way!

It was already midday.

The crowd gathered at the city gate had finished registering and dispersed, each of them privately anticipating the reward money Second Young Master of the Chen Family would hand out next.

Zhao Bing had been standing barely ten meters from Chen Mo, watching. He gripped his spear and thought, Second Young Master of the Chen Family mustn't come to harm. If those bandits dare to resist, I'll go over and run one through.

Capturing bandits was a merit in itself.

Now he could not only capture bandits, but also earn a reward from the Chen Family. It was the best of both worlds.

Zhao Bing was delighted.

But in the next moment, he saw Chen Mo swiftly chop off the bandit's head. Zhu San's head flew six meters away, rolled across the ground, and came to a stop at Zhao Bing's feet.

Blood still sprayed from the severed neck, splattering Zhao Bing's trouser leg.

As he watched Chen Mo walk away with his saber, Zhao Bing suddenly felt an inexplicable chill.

"He was abducted by two bandits, yet didn't panic. Instead, he hid half a hairpin in his mouth and pretended to be asleep. When the bandits left the city, he fought back and killed one. Then he used the reward money to rally the crowd and surround Zhu San, capturing him in the end. He must have learned something important from Zhu San, so he cut him down with a single stroke. Every move was calculated to the finest detail, each step hiding a deadly trap. Who else could have survived that?"

"Outsiders all say Second Young Master of the Chen Family is a spendthrift who throws money around like water. What a terrible misunderstanding."

"Those eight hundred taels of silver are making my heart pound just to think about..."

Zhao Bing came to his senses and ordered a few soldiers, "Take these two bandits' bodies to the Guard Station and claim the merit."

Meanwhile, Lin Yu Lan knelt before the statue of Goddess Hong Deng in the Chen Family Ancestral Hall, offering incense.

She kowtowed again and again.

"Goddess Hong Deng, please protect my Second Young Master and bring him home safe. He's the only child I have left. Even if I had to trade my life for his, I wouldn't hesitate..."

"Please, Goddess Hong Deng, watch over him. I beg you."

Thud, thud, thud.

She had barely spoken a few words before Lin Yu Lan began kowtowing again.

Just then, Steward Liu's voice came from outside the door. "Madam, Master has returned."

Lin Yu Lan jerked her head up and hurried out of the Ancestral Hall, then ran all the way to the Central Courtyard. There she saw Chen Yin Fu slumped in a redwood chair.

Besides Chen Yin Fu, a beautiful woman stood nearby, along with a thirteen-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl.

The woman was Zhang Ru, Chen Yin Fu's second wife. The boy was her son, Chen Wu. The five-year-old girl was Chen Yu'er, the daughter of the Third Concubine. The Third Concubine had died young, leaving behind only her lonely little daughter.

Chen Yu'er wore a red padded jacket and was eating a Candied Hawthorn, completely unaware of what had happened.

When Zhang Ru and Chen Wu saw Lin Yu Lan approach, they both bowed.

Lin Yu Lan ignored them and went straight to Chen Yin Fu. "Master, what did the Red Lantern Society say?"

"Ah!"

Chen Yin Fu shook his head with a sigh. "The Red Lantern Society has been busy lately. They still refuse to see me."

Lin Yu Lan was already thin, and now she swayed, nearly collapsing. Zhang Ru hurried over to support her. "Madam, please take care of your health. Head Guard Zhou and the others have gone looking. They'll surely find Young Master."

Lin Yu Lan shot Zhang Ru a look, then glanced at Chen Wu. "It wasn't your son who disappeared. All you can do is make light of it."

Zhang Ru shuddered and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Chen Wu stepped forward. "Auntie, Brother Mo is blessed by heaven. Nothing will happen to him. Besides, even if Brother Mo were gone, you'd still have me. I'm your son too. I'll take care of you from now on..."

Before Chen Wu could finish, Zhang Ru hurried over and covered his mouth, then scolded him harshly. "Adults are talking. What place does a child have interrupting? Go stand outside as punishment. You're not to eat without Madam's permission."

Thirteen-year-old Chen Wu had no idea what he'd said wrong to make his mother so angry. He felt terribly aggrieved, but didn't dare argue. Swallowing his hurt, he went outside and stood in the bitter wind, shivering until his hands and feet trembled.

Zhang Ru hurriedly said to Lin Yu Lan, "He's young and doesn't know better. Wu meant well; he just doesn't know where to draw the line. Please don't hold it against a child, Madam."

Zhang Ru was the daughter of a wealthy family, with a respectable background. But in the Chen household, she was still only a secondary wife, a concubine. She had to live at the mercy of others.

Lin Yu Lan looked at Zhang Ru's frightened expression, then at Chen Wu standing in the cold wind outside. In the end, she couldn't bear it. "Let Wu come inside. The wind is strong. He'll catch cold."

But Zhang Ru didn't dare obey. "Madam is kind, but Wu did say the wrong thing. He should be punished, so he'll learn the rules."

Lin Yu Lan said no more.

Seeing her brother punished, five-year-old Chen Yu'er decided her Candied Hawthorn didn't taste good anymore. She ran to Lin Yu Lan and timidly tugged at her sleeve. "Auntie, what did Brother Wu do wrong that he has to stand outside? Please forgive him, Auntie. I just saw Brother Wu go out to look for Brother Mo."

Lin Yu Lan glared at Zhang Ru. "Are you determined to make me the villain? Hurry up and bring your precious son inside."

Zhang Ru was caught between a rock and a hard place. In the end, she gritted her teeth. "Madam is kind, but as his mother, I can't let Wu forget his manners. Steward Liu, please give him a padded coat."

Steward Liu had been waiting outside. Hearing that, he hurried to the side room and fetched a thick padded coat for Chen Wu to put on. Then he stood respectfully to one side.

Unlike Chen Yin Fu and Lin Yu Lan, whose faces were full of hope, Steward Liu looked calm.

He knew perfectly well that Chen Mo would never return.

The family waited in the sitting room for a long time, but no news came. They grew more and more impatient.

Just then, Qiulan rushed in, shouting as she ran, "Master! Madam! Second Young Master is back!"

Chen Yin Fu and Lin Yu Lan hurried to their feet and ran to the gate to look outside.

Before long, they saw Chen Mo approaching, carrying a saber and covered in blood, his clothes and face coated with dust from the road.

No one was more shocked than Steward Liu. He drew in on himself and suddenly began to tremble.

How could this be...

Chen Mo entered the Central Courtyard against the cold wind. From far away, he saw his little sister Chen Yu'er sprinting toward him. She flung herself into his arms. "Brother Mo, you're finally back. Everyone's been waiting for you."

Chen Mo had been in a bad mood, but his little sister was so adorable that he still picked her up for a hug before setting her down. After walking a few steps, he saw Chen Wu standing beneath the eaves as punishment.

"What are you standing here for?"

Chen Wu glanced at Chen Mo and immediately sensed the murderous aura clinging to him. There was blood on Chen Mo's face, and he carried a broad saber. Chen Wu instinctively felt afraid, lowered his head, and said nothing.

Chen Mo looked over at Zhang Ru, who stood beneath the eaves. Chen Mo's appearance had shaken her too, and she hurriedly explained what had happened, ending with, "Children must learn their manners..."

Chen Mo couldn't be bothered with pleasantries. "Chen Wu didn't say anything wrong. If anything had happened to me, he'd be Mother's son and would have to shoulder the future of the Chen Mansion. Let him come inside and say what he wanted."

Zhang Ru was greatly astonished. She stared at the formidable Second Young Master in disbelief.

In her memory, Second Young Master had always been stingy and vicious, and especially fond of bullying Chen Wu. He was always taunting Chen Wu for being born of a concubine. Why was he saying something like this today?

"My son, you're finally back. You scared your mother half to death." Lin Yu Lan rushed down the steps, too emotional to care about her dignity, and hugged Chen Mo tightly, as if afraid he might slip away from her arms.

Chen Mo was deeply moved. He forced a smile. "Mother, I'm fine."

It was a long while before Lin Yu Lan finally let go of Chen Mo.

Chen Mo walked up to Chen Yin Fu and cupped his hands. "Your son has been unfilial, making Father worry."

Chen Yin Fu kept his feelings close and wasn't one to show them easily, but he couldn't hide his joy. "You're back. That's all that matters. You're a good son to your father. Come, tell me what happened."

"Father, please wait a moment. There's one more thing I have to settle." Chen Mo cupped one hand, then went over to Steward Liu.

Steward Liu felt Chen Mo's beastlike gaze on him and grew uneasy. But he was an old fox, after all, and quickly cupped his hands in congratulations. "Congratulations, Young Master, on escaping danger and returning safely. I was just praying for you. You must be hungry after your journey. I'll have the cook prepare lunch right away."

Steward Liu was about to leave when Chen Mo stopped him.

"Steward Liu, wait."

Steward Liu turned around, his manner deferential. "What else can I do for you, Young Master?"

Chen Mo said, "I'd like to borrow something from you, Steward Liu."

Steward Liu bent over and cupped his hands. "I've served you and Master for many years. My food, clothes, and everything else have all come from your family's generosity. Whatever you need, Young Master, just say the word. There's no need to borrow it."

"Since that's the case, then lend me your head!"

With that, Chen Mo drew his saber. In an instant, its blade flashed, and a living head flew from Steward Liu's neck. Blood spurted from the severed neck, soaring three feet into the air.

Clang!

Chen Mo sheathed his saber in the next instant, the metal scraping with a resonant hum.

And then there was Chen Mo's soft murmur.

"Please see the Lord on your way!"